The invention relates to feeding means for feeding a material web from an inlet side to an outlet side in a packaging machine comprising feeding chains disposed on both sides of the web and sprocket wheels for feeding the feeding chains, each feeding chain having chain links and clamps connected therewith for clamping the material web with a fixed clamping member connected with the associated chain link and a movable clamping member, and a compression spring for biasing the movable clamping member into the closed position, and an engagement element being adapted to engage the movable clamping member along a distance traversed by the chain.
A feeding means of that kind is known from the DE-OS No. 22 24 854. The fixed clamping members are rigidly connected with sleeves slidably guiding therein a bolt rigidly connected with the movable clamping members such that an inclination of the bolt and thus of the movable clamping member is avoided.
The AT-PS No. 31 64 28 shows a feeding chain having lateral angular butt straps attached to the chain links, wherein the lateral angular butt straps comprise horizontal bolts engaging slots provided at the movable clamping member. The engagement members cooperating with a feeding chain of that kind and being designed as engagement discs comprise pocket-like recesses cooperating with the chain links such that the movable clamping members are lifted and lowered in an inclined direction. Thus the clamping jaw of the movable clamping member is not vertically lowered onto the clamping jaw of the fixed clamping member and may thereby cause a displacement of the material web when the clamp is closed. Furthermore, the structure of the chain links as well as the one of the engagement disc is intricate.